Man convicted for stealing church property

A HWANGE man has learnt it the hard way that stealing from God is not profitable after he was convicted of stealing three rolls of barbed wire from a church.

Tinos Muzamba (21) appeared before Hwange magistrate Portia Mhlanga yesterday charged with two counts of theft.

He was convicted on his own plea of guilty.

The State, represented by Trymore Chitumbu, proved that on the night of August 6, Muzamba broke into an Assembles of God church in Kawewe village and stole a roll of barbed wire secured under the shed and left unnoticed.

On the same day, at around 3pm, Themba Munsaka, a caretaker at the church, noticed that the wire was missing and made a police report.

As the investigations were continuing, Muzamba struck again three days later, when he returned to the church and this time, stole two rolls of barbed wire from the same shed.

The caretaker noticed that more barbed wire had been stolen when he woke up.

Mazamba was arrested the same day at around 6pm after wheelbarrow tracks from the shed led to his homestead.

The value of the barbed wire was $185 and all the rolls were recovered in separate huts at his home.

Muzamba said he had spotted the fencing wires when he attended one of the church's services.

He said he intended to fence his homestead.

The magistrate sentenced him to nine months, with three months suspended for five years, while six months was converted to 210 hours of community service at St Mary's Clinic.